Sizing or grading device



W 3 A L. E. ELLIS LQQZM? SIZING OR GRADING DEVICE Filed Feb. 28, 1933 4 Sheets-Sheet l Invenim 4 ZUVZCEEZZZQ Aprifi 16, 11%35. E ELLIS 1,997,817

SIZING OR GRADING DEVICE Filed Feb. 28, 19 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Invenlor llorney Aprifl w, 1%5. L, E, ELLIS 39%,8137

SIZING OR GRADING DEVICE Filed Feb. 28, 1933 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Imxmor lax/"2'6 EEZZZS,

Apfil 16, 1935. L. E. ELLIS 11,997,831?

SIZING OR GRADING DEVICE Filed Feb. 28, 1933 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Jam'cEEZZz'i l\' Invevazior Patented Apr. 16, 1935 r J: "UMI D. AT

SIZING oRoRADIN'G Dav- E; v Q LovicEarnest Ellis, Lakeland, v I l V ApplicationFebruary 28, 1933.. zclaim's. cube-1 0's) This invention relatesto devices for sizing or grading fruit, vegetables, nuts and the like and has as. itsprimary object to provide a device of this character capable of a wide range of adjust ments consisting of comparatively few parts, is positive and efiicient in operation, and otherwise well adaptedfor the purpose designed. The invention together with its numerous objects and advantages will be best understood from a study of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein: 1

' Figure 1 isa plan View. of the device. Figure 2, is a sectional elevationalview showing the means for holding -;the shaft adjusting lever inposition; r g 1 5- Figurefiis a top plan view of the device certain parts being removed. .-1 Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional elevational viewthroughxthe'device.

Figure 5 is a plan viewv of a portion of a supporting annulus.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional elevational view showing certain details of construction to be hereinafter more fully referred to. Figure '7 is an elevational view showing the manner of attaching the annulus to a supporting leg, a sizing plate being arranged in position on 40 quality so as to, permit distortion and reshaping thereof. The plate 3 on its under side has secured thereto a series of relatively spaced inverted U-shaped clamps 4 straddle the upper ends of the legs or standards 2 in a manner clearly shown in Figure 7. The sides of the clamps 4 are longitudinally slotted for accommodating fasteners such as bolts and nuts 5 to secure the clamps engaged with the legs or standards and the annulus 3 in a predetermined position and 50 condition, that is to say, to secure the annulus 3 at the desired vertical adjustment and either in flat or spiral form. Manifestly to secure the plate 3 in spiral form the clamps 4 are vertically adjusted relative to one another. 55 Arranged concentrically 0f the post or legs 2 is an outer-circulariseries-of shorter standards 6 which havettheir intermediate... portions connected by arcuatestrips .71. Inclined pan supporting bars Bare secured at their lower ends to thestandards 6 and at' their upper ends to: the rim of-a'spider =8. Thebars 1 and 8 provide inclined supports for pans l0. Supp rted by certain of the legs, or standards 2 adjacent the lower: ends thereof are cross :bars H which provideasupport for a stepped slide or block'member IZ-iconstrained to shift between a pair of spaced parallel guides-l3.- 5 1 Eachsteppedportion or the block 12 asshown in Figures-6. and 8; is. provided with a bearing I4 and any one-of the bearingswill readilyaccom modate the lowerxend of a: vertical driven. shaft 15.; Shaft 15 as shown in Figure 6 also extends upwardly through the-hubi of the spider) 9,:,;and mounted on. the: upper. end of; the shaft. for rotation therewith isva,distributor member'ljli.

The distributor member l6 may be formed of any material, and be of any desired shape or construction; however in the present instance I have shown the same as being in the nature of a wheel. Supported by the annulus 3 is a circular series of segmental sizing or grading plates I1. Plates I! may be of any suitable construction and formedfrom any suitable material it being preferable however to have the top face of each plate disposed at an incline sloping inwardly from the outer to the inner edge thereof as shown. In the present instance each plate I1 is provided on its under side with a depending flange or web l8 for supporting the plate I! at an incline. Each plate I1 is also provided with a depending bolt l9 havinga nut suitably engaged therewith, and the bolts IQ of the plates operate in slots provided therefor in the plate 3 whereby provision is made for adjustingthe plates radially'with reference to the plate or annulus 3 and wheel l6. To raise or lower the shaft l5 to adjust the distributor element I6 in a vertical plane relative to the plate 3 and grading plates I! there is provided a lever 2| pivotally mounted adjacent one end on a standard 22 and provided at said one end with a fork 23 engaging a grooved collar 24 provided on the shaft I5. Adjacent the handle equipped end thereof the lever 2| operates in a guide bracket 25 mounted on one I of the legs or standards 2 as clearly shown in Figure 2. On the inner side thereof the guide 25 is provided with a vertical series of spaced ratchet like teeth or lugs 26 providing abutments to be selectively engaged by the handle 2| for holding the shaft IS in a raised position until the proper one'of the bearings I 4 is moved into position for receiving the lower end of the shaft. The slide block l2 carrying the bearings I4 is provided with a handle 21 to facilitate manipulation thereof. Handle 21 also operates in a guide 28 provided therefor on one of the legs or standards 2.

Any suitable means may be employed for driving the shaft [5 and in the present instance there is provided a horizontal shaft 29 journalled in bearings 30, 3| carried by standards 6, 2 and a bearing standard 32. On its inner end the shaft 29 is provided with a bevel gear 33 while on its outer end the shaft is provided with a pulley 34 so that a belt and pulleydrive connection may be readily made between the shaft 29 and the shaft of a prime mover or any other suitable source of power. A gear 35 is mounted on the shaft I5 and a set screw or the like is provided for securing the gear 35 at the desired longitudinal adjustment relative to the shaft 15 so as to .be properly positioned to mesh with the gear 33 subsequent to an adjustment of the shaft I5. Manifestly when power is transmitted to shaft 29, drive-is transmitted therefrom to shaft l5? through the medium of the intermeshing gears 33, 35.

The operation of the device is thought clear from the above. The fruit, vegetables, ornuts to be graded'are placed on the sizing plates I! after proper adjustments of the distributor l6,

plates l1 and annulus 3 have been made. As the distributor l6 revolves the fruit, vegetables or nuts as the case may be by contact with the periphery of the distributor ii are distributed over the plates I! in a manner to permit the fruit, vegetables or nuts of a proper size to pass from the plates l1 through the space between said plates and the distributor [6 into thepans It provided for receivingsame.

It will be apparent that various adjustments may be made from time to time and that an efficient grading of the fruits, vegetables, nuts or the like will be assured under almost any and all conditions.

Even though I have herein shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the same is susceptible of further changes, modifications and improvements coming within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is:

1. In a grading device of the character described, anannular ductile supporting plate, a support therefor, and connections between the plate and its support for securing the plate on the support in either a normal or distorted conditionoptionally; a revoluble element supported above and substantially concentrically to said plate, and grading plates supported by the first named plate and adjustable thereon radially to the revoluble element, means for securing the last named plates at the desired adjustment, and said last named plates having inclined surfaces upon which the fruit rests.

2. In a fruit grader, a substantially circular supporting structure, an annular ductile plate supported by said structure, connections between said plate and said supporting structure for securing the plate at the desired vertical adjustment and in either a normal or predetermined distorted condition, optionally; grading plates carried by the annular plate. and presenting an inclined fruit supporting surface for the first named plate, and revoluble means for advancing the fruit over said surface and against the peripheral edge of which the fruit bears.

LOVIC EARNEST ELLIS. 

